Cigar lighter



Feb. 20, 1934. D PEPPER 1,948,186

CIGAR LIGHTER Filed June 4, 1932 q m "7 '4\ "3 Lu Patented Feb. 20, 1934 UNITE STATES OFFICE My invention relates to cigar lighters of the type in which a coiled flexible match held in a container is progressively fed through an opening in the container and in which means are provided for igniting the projecting end of the match. The object of my invention is to provide a novel, simple and effective construction, designed, in the first place, to secure an eiiective feeding of the match from the container and, in the second place, designed to effect the wiping on" of the ash from the burned end of the match before the feeding action begins and then to bring an ignition friction pad in contact with the projected end of the match and I have also in view the provision of a receptacle for receiving the ash wiped oif from the end of the match. Other objects of my invention are to provide a wind shield adapted to protect the burning end of the match and a latch and latch releasing mechanism for engaging and releasing the main operating lever.

The nature of my improvements will be best understood as described in connection with the drawing, in which I have illustrated a cigar lighter embodying the features of my invention, and in which Figure l is an elevation of the cigar lighter with its cover plate removed.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the lighter from the left of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an elevation of the apparatus, viewed from the under-side of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a longitudinal section on the line 4- 1 of Fig. 1, viewed from the right hand side of Fig. l, and

Figure 5 is an end or top view of the lighter, viewed as from the upper side of Fig. 1.

A is the main body or casing having a large internal chamber A from the center of which projects a hub like extension B which is hollowed out from the back of the casing, as indicated at B The lower portion of the walls of the chamber A are preferably, formed as the arc of a circle, as indicated at A and an extension of the wall A indicated at A leads to a r slot A formed in the top wall of the casing and,

as shown, through a metal plate C, secured to the top edge of the casing and having an opening registering with that formed through the edge of the casing. A indicates a second chamber formed in the body of the casing and having a slot or opening A located immediately to the right of the slot A leading through the top wall of the casing. A is a depressed chamber formed on the under-side of the casing A to serve as a seat for a latching device, to be described. A

is an arcuate slot formedthrough the under-side of the casing leading into the chamber A and A9 is an arcuate groove formed in the under or bottom side of the casing and leading into the depressed latch seat A, as indicated.

Located in the hollow portion B of the hub B is an internally threaded metal cylinder D, having a closed top D from which projects a threaded pin D which extends through a perforation in the top of the hub B and for some distance above said hub. The edge D of the cylinder D lies approximately flush with the bottom of the casing A. E is a pivot for the main actuating lever, to be described. This pivot screws into the threaded cylinder D and is pro- 7 vided with a head, indicated at E F is the main actuating lever of the lighter, which is pivoted on the pivot E, between its head E and the edge of the metal cylinder D. This lever is normally pressed toward the left by the action of a spring G, located in the space between the cylinder D and the wall B of the hub. The lever extends beyond the top of the casing and, from a point near its upper left hand corner, extends a-pivot pin F From a point lower down on the lever F, a pin F extends through the arcuate slot A into the chamber A and another pin F extends from the lever in a position to pass into the groove A and the depressed seat A As shown in the drawing, the sheet metal of which the lever F is made is formed into a box like shield, indicated at H, which partly encloses the slot A when the lever is in retracted position and serves as a wind-shield to protect the burning end of the match. I indicates a block, pivoted on the pin F and having its free end pressed down upon the top end of the casing by the action of a spring, indicated at J. The edge I of the block which rests against the edge of the casing is sharpened to act as a scraper.

The under-side of the block I is formed with internally grooved projections indicated at I I so as to adapt it to receive and hold a match igniting plate indicated at I K indicates a disc pivoted at K in the recess A". The edge of the disc which projects beyond the right hand edge of the casing is milled, as indicated at K and projecting from the opposite edge of the disc is a finger K on the under-side of which is formed 105 a notch K. The disc and the finger are held normally in the position shown in Figure 3 by a spring indicated at L, the position of the finger being such that as the lever is swung toward the left the pin F which normally lies in the groove A will, on its motion toward the left, engage the 11 under-side of the finger K and finally be engaged by the notch K thereby engaging the lever F in its left hand position, from which it is freed by turning the disc in an anti-clockwise direction.

M is a slotted link pivoted in the chamber A at M and held, as indicated at M to receive the pin F of the lever F, the pin extending through the arcuate slot A in the bottom of the casing, the slot being so formed as to impart to the link the desired movements as the lever swings from right to left. The free end of the link M supports a pawl M the edge of which lies opposite to the lower portion of the wall A and is pressed toward it by a spring M The shape of the slot M is such that as the pin F moves from left to right, it does not shift the position of the link M. until after the edge of the block I has passed over the slot A but as soon as this occurs the free end of the link is moved upward, carrying with it the pawl M which rests against the match lying against the wall A and acts to feed it upward through the slot A acting to pull the match down when it is moved downward, I provide a second pawl N pivoted in the casing at N and pressed toward the wall A by a spring N This pawl engages the match and prevents it from moving backward or downward. O is an annular container or box having a lateral opening 0 and containing a flexible match P. This match, as shown, is carried on a rotatable reel 0 fitting on the inner wall of the annular box. This box is placed in the chamher A with its central opening surrounding the hub B and its lateral opening registering with the wall A The end of the flexible match P passes over the wall A under the pawls M and N, into and through the notch A Q is a cover or lid for the casing A, which is seated on suitable seats formed in or adjacent to the edge of the casing and upon the top of the hub B. This cover is formed with a perforation Q through which the threaded pin D extends and the lid is secured in position by a nut R, screwing on the threaded end of the pin D In operation, the end of the flexible match being inserted beneath the pawls M and N and extending into the notch A and the lever F being in its normal or left hand position, the operator moves the lever toward the right, the lever carrying with it the block I, the sharp edge I passing over the slot A and wiping oil? any burned end of the match, the ashes are carried forward to the slot A and fall into the chamber A After the edge of the block I is passed over the slot A the pin F actuates the link M, pressing its free end upward so that the pawl M moves the flexible match upward until its edge projects for a definite distance above the notch A The movement of the lever F toward the right carries the pin F into contact with the finger K of the disc K and finally into the notch K which latches the lever in the right hand position. The operator then, by means of the roughened edge of the disc K, rotates the disc in a clockwise direction which turns the finger K upward until the pin F is released from the notch K whereupon the spring G turns the lever F toward the left, carrying the igniting pad I over the projecting end of the match so as to ignite it, whereupon the match will burn down to the top of the notch A The box like structure H will, on the retraction of the lever F, surround the burning edge To prevent the pawl M of the match on three sides, thus serving as a protection against the blowing out of the match before it has burned down to the top of the casing, the forward end of block I being built up to form the fourth side of box H.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A cigar lighter comprising in combination a lidded casing adapted to contain a coiled match, said casing having an opening in its edge adapted to give passage to the end of the match and a guiding wall over which the end of the match passes on its Way to the opening, a swinging lever pivoted on the side wall of the casing to swing in a plane parallel to said side wall, said swinging lever supporting a scratch pad holder in such position that as the lever is swung from one side to the other, the scratch pad holder will pass over the opening through which the match end emerges from the casing, a movable match engaging device located to engage with the portion of the match resting against the wall of the casing over which it passes on its way to the opening, said match engaging device being inter-engaged with the swinging lever in such manner as to feed the match through the opening in the casing in timed relation with the movement of the lever which carries the scratch pad holder over the said opemng.

2. A cigar lighter having the features of claim 1,'in which the outer edge of the scratch pad holder carried by the swinging lever is resiliently pressed against the edge of the container through which the opening for the exit of the match is formed.

3. A cigar lighter having the features of claim 1, in which a spring is provided to hold and return the lever to normally retracted position.

l. A cigar lighter having the features of claim 1, in which a spring is provided to hold and return the lever to normally retracted position and in which a releasable latch is provided to engage and hold the lever in the position to :vhich it is swung from normally retracted posi- 5. A cigar lighter having the features of claim 1, in which the casing is provided with an ash holding chamber having an opening located immediately in the rear of the opening through which the match end is fed from the casing.

6. In a cigar ligher having the features of claim 1, a wind guard extending from the swinging lever, shaped and located to partly surround the ignited matchend when the lever is in retracted position.

7. A cigar lighter having the features of claim 1, having alsoa hub like projection from its wall, adapted to support and center a coiled match, in

combination with an annular match box adapted g to fit over the hub like extension of the casing and having an edge opening to permit the drawing out of the coiled match.

8. A cigar lighter having the features of claim 1, having also a hub like projection from its wall adapted to support and center a coiled match, in combination with an annular match box adapted to fit over the hub like extension of the casing and having an edge opening to permit the drawing out of the coiled match, said annular box having a rotatable reel, centered on the inner edge wall of the box.

DAVID PEPPER. 

